


5 Times Kent Crushed It

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Family Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, request fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28268268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: Kent walked to the door. ‘You’re making the right choice.’‘You don’t know what it is!’Kent smiled. ‘Whatever your choice, I have faith that it’s the right choice for you.’
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	5 Times Kent Crushed It

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to crazymaryt for the suggestion.

The First Time That Kent Saw His Ranch

He had looked at a few ranches before he visited the rather sentimentally named “Happy Hooves.” He had been surprised to find that the ranch had been quite successful and was certainly profitable. It simply seemed to be the case that the elderly owners had decided they wanted to retire to somewhere warm with easy access to cheap wine and food.

There had been a few moments when Kent had considered retirement. Financially it was viable for him, but no. He knew himself too well for that. He needed an occupation to give him purpose and drive. He had decided that ranching alpacas would be a good sort of middle ground. Nowhere near the stress of working in the West Wing, but important enough in a small way. There was some responsibility in raising animals, managing property, and controlling staff. Enough responsibility to engage him, certainly.

He had a short list of potential properties that he was weighing up. Then he went to see “Happy Hooves” and, well, there was no longer any weighing up to be done. He knew that it was irrational and possibly irresponsible. Nonetheless, there were moments when even Kent, logical and sensible to that last, chose to acknowledge the occasional stabs of passionate interest. He couldn’t have explained quite what so attracted him to this particular ranch. It certainly wasn’t the name.

Kent was no stranger to expensive purchases although admittedly he was more indulgent with boats then he ever had been with accommodation. Nonetheless, he was almost giddy with excitement to buy the ranch. He almost danced around the stables, the ranch house, and the outbuildings. He greeted the alpacas cheerfully by name.

It was perhaps a little childish. Or childlike might be a more accurate description. The distinction had always been semantically unclear to Kent. Neither particularly bothered him. Kent had always considered it unhealthy to pretend that he did not have a childlike side. It was nothing to be ashamed of in and of itself. Like everything else, it should certainly be kept in check, but not suppressed. There had been people who found this odd or even inappropriate. At least one former partner had regarded it as completely baffling. Kent shook his head at the thought. If there were anyone who might have benefitted from a little of the natural joy of being in touch with their inner child, then it was Sue Wilson. Ah well. That was a very long time ago now. She had moved on very quickly. He had moved on eventually and not always successfully, but he had moved on.

He slept little that first night. Too anxious about the tasks he had to accomplish. Too agitated not to notice every tiny sound. Too excited, frankly. It was a long time since he had been so excited about a new step in his life.

It was a relief in a way. He had begun to wonder if he was no longer able to feel that level of enthusiasm and joy. Working in politics had been exhausting. It had sapped him in a way that he hadn’t truly realised until he found himself tired and dulled. Nothing to which he looked forward. Even things that he had once enjoyed had lost their lustre. Kent had never thought of himself as the sort of person who got depressed. He couldn’t have told you what that person would look like. He knew that it was a medical fact that it happened. That it certainly didn’t represent any failure or weakness. It was simply an illness like any other. Nonetheless it hadn’t occurred to him. His sister had dragged him to the doctor. Kent had gone along because it was easier than fighting. He took the medication because it was easier than making a fuss. They’d see soon enough that the anti-depressants didn’t make a difference, and everything could get back to normal.

Seven weeks later had had taken his sister to lunch and thanked her. He wasn’t precisely feeling like an eighteen-year-old, not that he would ever want to go back _there_ thank you, but he felt immeasurably better.

That first night at the re-christened, “Wildlife Retreat,” as he lay in bed wondering if that faint noise was coming from the pig pen or the alpaca stable, it occurred to him that this didn’t have to be a kind of working retirement. He wasn’t winding down yet. He still had ambitions and drives. They were just different now then they had been before. This didn’t have to be the beginning of the end if he didn’t want it to be.

The First Time That Kent Met Summer

Children could be a little rowdy but that was okay. Kent tended to organise the tours so that the stolid sheep were the first animals that they saw. Then the kids who butted and frolicked and tried to eat clothing. Kids, that is to say baby goats, were always a big hit with their namesakes.

This was a group from the nearby group foster home. Kent had waived the entrance fee. School term times were generally quieter, and he had some young animals he needed to acclimatise to shouting and shrieking children. Besides, while Kent had no religious or spiritual beliefs, there were times when he felt that his soul needed a little brush up.

He didn’t conduct the tours. It would have been more cost effective, especially when he had first started, and every penny needed to be carefully accounted for. But Kent had no illusions about his own social skills and considered a professional guide to be a worthwhile investment. Even so, there were time when he came across the tours as he was doing his rounds. It happened now, as he was taking a new alpaca across to the quarantine paddock. She was a small animal, a little unsteady, but he hoped that in time she would grow to her strengths. Over the pathway, he saw the group of children whooping at the gambolling kids, the shambling sheep, and the placid pigs. At the back of the group there was a child in a wheelchair, craning to see what was happening.

Kent put the alpaca in the quarantine paddock and walked over. The children were now inside the paddock with the goats, sheep, and pigs. All except the child in the wheelchair. Now her view was unimpeded but the thick grass in the paddock made it impractical for her to enter.

‘I can bring a kid over if you like,’ Kent offered.

She looked up at him. A thoughtful look but younger than he expected.

‘Like… baby goats,’ she said.

‘That’s right.’

‘Not a kid like I’m a kid,’ she said, checking.

‘Exactly,’ Kent said. ‘I’d offer to bring over a pig, but they might try to eat you.’

She giggled and looked over at the nearest pig. ‘It’s bigger than me.’

‘She not even half grown yet’ Kent said.

The girl looked at the pig with round, gleaming eyes. ‘She’s a girl?’

‘Her name is Thomasina.’

The girl laughed. ‘She doesn’t look like that’s her name.’

Kent opened the gate. ‘She seems to like it.’

A couple of the kids skipped over and butted Kent affectionately. He petted them both and scooped one up. He carried the kid out of the paddock and squatted down with the kid in his arms. ‘His name is Chuck.’

She leaned forward and put her hand on the kid’s flank. Kent had noticed that there seemed to be two responses from children: rough and playful or nervous and careful. This girl was of the latter variety. She stroked the kid’s flank with a slightly trembling hand. The kid began to grow restive in his grasp.

‘Say goodbye, Chuck,’ Kent said to the kid and then lifted it over the fence.

‘Mister?’ the girl asked, looking at him.

‘Yes? You can address me as Kent.’

She gave him a look we suggested that would not be happening. ‘Can I see Thomasina?’

Kent laughed. ‘I guess that we can try.’

The girl clapped her hands together as he opened the gate again. The other children were moving on now. Kent looked up as one of the volunteers from the group home walked over.

‘Is everything okay, Summer?’ she asked with an edge of wariness.

‘I’m going to pet the pig,’ she said gleefully.

The volunteer looked doubtfully as Kent gently chivvied Thomasina over to the fence.

‘That’s a pretty big animal.’

‘She’s not half grown yet,’ Summer said, grinning.

Thomasina snuffled at the fence, pushing her nose through to sniff at Summer.

‘Keep your hands away from her mouth,’ Kent said mildly. 

Summer nodded, and scratched Thomasina under the chin.

‘We’re going to lose the others,’ the volunteer said sounding a little guilty.

Kent gently urged Thomasina away from the fence.

‘Boo,’ Summer said.

‘Okay, say thank-you, Summer,’ the volunteer suggested.

Summer flashed Kent a cheeky look. ‘Thanks for not letting her eat me.’

‘Makes too much mess,’ Kent said.

As the volunteer pushed Summer’s wheelchair away after the others, Kent heard the volunteer telling Summer that she shouldn’t overexert herself so much, and Summer loudly groaning.

The First Time That Kent Brought His Daughter Home

Kent was reasonably confident with the wheelchair now although if he ever met the designer, he would have some thoughts to share with them, starting with the fact that it was possible to dismantle the entire thing by accident. He lifted it out of the trunk in one rather ungainly movement, truth be told, and put it down on the ground.

Summer had already opened her door and taken off her seatbelt.

‘What’s the point of child locks if you bypass them?’ he grumbled, leaning in to scoop her up. He was reasonably confident doing that too, now. It had taken a little while.

‘Don’t know,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Take them off then.’

‘Oh, you think that you’re so smart,’ he said, putting her in the wheelchair.

Summer squirmed in her seat, making herself more comfortable. ‘Yup. That’s me. So smart.’

Kent smiled at her. ‘Ready to see your room?’

She took a deep breath. ‘Can I have some water?’

‘Water?’

She shrugged. ‘I think I might throw up,’ she admitted.

‘Uh…’ He tried to see if he could get her into the ranch house quickly enough.

‘You can just go get it,’ she suggested. ‘I don’t think a llama is gonna eat me.’

He narrowed his eyes as he headed towards the house. ‘You know we don’t have any llamas.’

She waved her hand. ‘What _ever_.’

He rushed back from the kitchen with a small tumbler of water. Summer drank it all down quickly.

‘I should take your temperature,’ he said.

She gave him a look. ‘I’m not sick.’

Kent looked at her blankly. ‘Then why were you nauseated?’

Summer coloured as she looked away. ‘Cos I’m excited, jeez.’

‘Ah.’ Kent ruffled her hair. ‘Let’s get inside before an alpaca doesn’t eat you.’

‘That doesn’t even make sense.’

Summer’s bedroom was on the ground floor, at least for now. It had been the family room when Kent had bought the ranch. A fairly large room that, he hoped, would be reasonably easy for her navigate.

‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing at the array of items on top of the long dresser. ‘The red thing.’

‘That’s a mini-fridge,’ he said. ‘There’s also a toaster and a microwave.’

She blinked. ‘I can have a little fridge _in my room_?’

Kent chuckled. ‘I thought that you might find it easier to have certain things to hand so that you don’t have to go backwards and forwards to the kitchen.’

She pursed her lips. ‘Oh. It’s a wheelchair thing not a cool thing.’

‘I think it’s still cool even while being practical.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘You’re such a dad.’

The First Time Kent Got His Hands Really Dirty

It wasn’t that it was a surprise. Obviously, it wasn’t a surprise. While Kent would have been the first to admit that his practical experience of pregnancy and childbirth was somewhere between “non-existent” and “minimal” he was certainly aware of the basic facts of the birds and the bees. Or in this case the hembra and the macho. Possibly the other way around. He wasn’t entirely sure of the specifics of that particular metaphor. In any event, the imminent arrival of the first cria born at his ranch was both exciting and anxiety-inducing. He was aware that he did not entirely regard his animals with the dispassion that was probably considered wise for his position. When Ben said something sneering about it, Kent would always point out that he was a rancher not a dairy farmer. He wasn’t selling his animals for meat, not even the pigs. While it was true that he might potentially be able to sell the cria when it was old enough, that was not his primary cause of anxiety at the thought of the pregnancy going badly.

‘They’re not your damn pets,’ Ben grumbled, over Joyce’s latest culinary adventure. It was allegedly a birthday party for their youngest, who was too young to really be aware of events.

‘They’re nothing to you so I wonder why you have an opinion on the matter,’ Kent said.

‘Because you’re getting your panties in a bunch over an overgrown rabbit.’

Summer, at the other end of the table opposite the Cafferty children but ignoring them, sniggered. Kent ignored it.

‘That is a terrible comparison,’ Kent said. ‘They’re nothing like rabbits. Pregnancy is eleven and a half months.’

Joyce groaned. ‘Too long!’ 

‘It makes breeding something of a long-term project,’ Kent agreed.

Ben waved his hand. ‘They’re animals. They do this all the time. It’s natural.’

Kent frowned. ‘Natural is not a synonym for safe.’

Joyce nodded. ‘Remember the dog? I told you and I told you to take her to the vet, but you wouldn’t. What happened? She got pregnant by that huge pit bull and –’

‘We’re having dinner here! Nobody wants to hear that.’ Ben poked his food with his fork. ‘It’s not the same. Alpacas are all the same size. They’re not like dogs. You don’t great big ones and little tiny ones.’

Kent winced. ‘Is that what happened?’

Ben shuddered. ‘Yeah. Not great. But that’s not gonna happen with your alpaca. It’s gonna be fine so stop worrying about it.’ 

Kent rolled his eyes. ‘If only that were remotely how worrying about things worked.’

‘They’re just animals,’ Ben grumbled.

Joyce looked at Kent. ‘He cried for days when Lucky got cancer.’

‘I remember,’ Kent said quietly.

‘Oh bullshit,’ Ben muttered, looking away.

Joyce tutted. ‘Why do men think women would think less of them for being honest about their feelings?’

Kent licked his lips. ‘Perhaps they care less about what women think than they care about their own internalised toxic masculinity.’ He patted his shirt as his cell vibrated.

Ben waved his hand at Kent. ‘He cried just as much about Fibonacci.’

‘He never claimed Fibonacci was _just_ an animal,’ Joyce retorted.

Kent put the cell away. He didn’t say anything as he stood suddenly and moved down to Summer.

‘We need to go,’ he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. ‘Have you finished eating?’

Someone else might’ve protested or asked him what he meant. Summer heard the tone in his voice and put down her cutlery.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Em called,’ Kent said. ‘Stacey has gone into labour.’

Summer looked over to the window. ‘Oh. That’s not good.’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘Okay. Can I take some cake or something home?’

‘Is everything okay?’ Joyce asked.

‘We need to go,’ Kent said. ‘Apologies.’

Joyce stood and hurried over. ‘But we haven’t finished eating yet! I’m sure that Summer isn’t ready to go.’

‘Could I take some cake?’ Summer asked rolling back two feet. ‘Or pudding.’

Kent squeezed her shoulder.

‘Well… of course, if you _have_ to go,’ Joyce said helplessly. ‘But –’

‘We do,’ Kent said. ‘Thank you for lunch.’

‘We’re only halfway through,’ Joyce pointed out.

Ben heaved himself to his feet. ‘Come on, Joyce, he’s only going to get twitchy if you put him off.’

The drive back to the ranch took too long. Too long in the pouring rain and swirling wind. Summer looked out of the window.

‘They’re supposed to give birth in the morning?’

‘It’s unusual for them to give birth in the afternoon or evening,’ Kent said.

‘This isn’t good is it?’

Kent tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘It isn’t ideal. However, that doesn’t mean that anything is wrong or that there will be a problem.’

Summer looked back at him. ‘It’s okay to be worried.’

Kent smiled slightly at her. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not trying to downplay the situation.’

‘Yeah, you are.’ She bumped her shoulder against his. ‘It’s okay. I can take it.’

‘I’m not sure that I can,’ Kent admitted.

***

Stacey was walking around. Getting up. Sitting down. Taking short rests. Kent sent Em home early. The young woman offered to stay but Kent was nervous enough without trying to look out for her as well.

‘Is Stacey having a crap?’ Summer asked. She’d rolled herself up the ramp and was parked in the entrance to the stable. ‘She looks like she’s having a massive crap.’

Kent laughed despite himself. ‘That’s the amniotic sac, it just ruptured. It means that the forelimbs and head will probably appear soon.’

‘Or legs, as some people call them.’

Kent put his hand on his hip. ‘You’re supposed to be in the house stuffing your face with cake, pest.’

Summer turned around to take a thermos from the shelf underneath her chair. ‘Made you some coffee.’

Kent opened and closed his mouth. ‘Oh. Thank you.’

‘It’s okay,’ she said, as he took it. ‘I didn’t put any whiskey in it. Well, not much.’

Kent snorted. ‘I’m sure that you would be very disappointed to see me drunk.’

‘Yeah, but you might let me get a tattoo,’ she said brightly.

There was the sound of liquid squirting and the soft slither of the amniotic sac slipping out. Kent looked around as two hoofs squeezed out.

‘I will never be that drunk,’ he muttered.

‘That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen,’ Summer said. ‘Can I stay?’

Kent shook his head. ‘It’s going to take a few hours at least and you still need to do your homework.’ He crossed over and kissed her forehead. ‘Thank you for the coffee.’

Summer turned the chair around. ‘Call me when you need to go pee-pee. I’m sure you want _someone_ here all the while.’

‘Pee-pee. Hilarious,’ he said dryly.

Summer shrugged. ‘When you gotta go you gotta go.’

***

It was good coffee. Summer made it stronger than he generally did but also liked to add a little caramel. It wasn’t something that it had ever occurred to him to do but he enjoyed it. He had lived alone for a long time before he had adopted her and had found as many adjustments came from simply sharing living space as from becoming a father.

There had times when things had been complicated but never fraught. She had clearly thought that family therapy when they had only just become a family was some kind of insanity. Nonetheless she acquiesced to it. In fact, that had been an early issue. Despite being what his sister described as “sassy,” to begin with, Summer had a tendency to go along with things, to acquiesce, even when she clearly had some other preference. It had taken quite a while to build up her confidence; in herself, in him, and in their relationship, to the point where she would say she didn’t want to go somewhere, didn’t like that book, and didn’t need that help.

There were times when obedience was important, vital even. But Summer wasn’t a toddler who needed to be kept from hot stoves or loose electrical wires and Kent wasn’t the kind of man who needed to impose his will on any women in his life.

Kent walked to the stable door and glanced out. He could see the lights on in the ranch house. The kitchen and Summer’s bedroom. Probably making snacks to eat while she finished her homework. His stomach rumbled. The cria’s head was now out but no further. He’d done his work and he knew that the time was coming that he would have to directly intervene. He’d been hoping to avoid it. 

His stomach rumbled again. It was becoming a distraction. Kent pulled out his cell and texted Summer.

_I would be very grateful if you could watch Stacey while I make myself a sandwich._

**_Is that another way of saying that you need to use the potty?_ **

_It is not._

**_Spoilsport. Gimmie five minutes._ **

He was going to need gloves to turn the cria, but he didn’t see any point in mentioning that.

The First Time Kent Helped Summer Find Her Feet

There had been a lot of occasions recently when Kent had been aggressively reminded that, for all his years on Earth, there were worlds of experience that he had entirely missed. While working in politics he had certainly accompanied various employers on visits to hospitals and, yes, prosthetic makers, he had never researched them in much detail. He had no particular uneasiness or distaste regarding medical issues, but he didn’t have the prurient obsessive interest in them so common to hypochondriacs.

The day-to-day care for prosthetic limbs had never occurred to him until he had begun to research. The medical issues that they could themselves cause had never occurred to him.

Now his head was swimming with information on cleaning, maintenance, and a dozen other topics. It was fortunate indeed that money was not a particular concern for him. It was quite clear that the cost of the prosthetics could be the difference between relative comfort and continual irritation. Or worse.

‘Maybe this is a bad idea,’ Summer said, chewing her lower lip.

Kent looked at her. ‘Getting you prosthetic limbs?’

She waved her arms to indicate the room at large. ‘Like there’s anything else going on here.’

‘Well, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,’ he said.

‘Good.’

‘But you’ve been excited about this for months,’ Kent said. ‘You barely slept last night.’

She folded her arms. ‘You don’t know that.’

‘I _do_ know that,’ he said. ‘You were making enough noise to raise the dead.’

‘Ugh!’ She threw up her arms. ‘Maybe I was up all night being a hacker. You ever think of that?’

Kent smiled slightly. ‘I think that you generally plot the downfall of civilisation during the day.’ He pushed his fingers through his hair. ‘And you were nauseated again this morning. That’s a solid sign of you being overexcited.’

Summer crossed her arms. ‘Not _always_ ,’ she said.

‘Not always,’ Kent agreed. ‘But definitely in this case.’ He pulled a chair over and sat down on it. ‘Okay, look, if you absolutely don’t want to do this then you don’t have to do it.’

She shifted in her chair. ‘You’ve spent all this money.’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Kent said, brushed it off. ‘Don’t think about that. What you should think about is what _you_ really want. I’ve never been in this situation. I can’t say what I would do if I were you.’ He licked his lips. ‘But I’ve seen how excited you’ve been. I think I have a good idea how much this has meant to you. This is a big change and change can be…’

‘Scary,’ she said.

He was going to say challenging, but he nodded. ‘Scary, yes.’ He smiled. ‘But you and I both know that you refuse to be scared by anything. Even things that you should be scared about.’

Summer raised her eyebrows.

‘Not that this is innately dangerous,’ he said quickly.

She looked at the posters on the wall. ‘What if I’m crap with them?’

‘Do you want to talk to the prosthetist again?’ Kent asked gently.

Summer shook her head. ‘I want you to give me a hug and tell me that it’s going to be okay.’

He smiled. ‘You only had to say that.’

‘Still haven’t done it,’ she pointed out.

Kent moved closer and slid his arms around her. Summer leaned against him.

‘It’s going to be okay,’ he promised. ‘Whatever happens, whatever you decide, it will be okay. I will make sure that it is okay.’

‘Thank you,’ she said in a muffled voice.

‘And just think how much easier it’ll be for us to hug when you’re stood up,’ Kent said. ‘We’ll be hugging all the time.’

‘Ugh,’ she groaned. ‘You’re so sappy.’

He kissed the top of her head. ‘That’s my job.’

Summer rolled her eyes as he stepped back. ‘It’s gonna be a while before I can stand up _that_ long.’

‘Smart ass.’ He leaned back against the counter. ‘Do you need some more time?’

She shook her head. ‘That Matt dude is probably already bored of waiting.’

Kent shrugged. ‘The amount that I’m paying, he can wait for five minutes.’

Summer gave him a look. ‘You said that the money didn’t matter.’

He tucked his hands in his pockets. ‘It doesn’t matter as regards you deciding whether or not to proceed.’

‘Ohh, so what you’re saying is that you think spending lots of money means you can make people you’re paying wait,’ Summer said sweetly.

Kent put his hands on his hips. ‘That is not what I am saying. I would never say that, and I certainly would _never_ want you to think that was an appropriate way to behave.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Okay. Jeez. Well, he’s still waiting.’

Kent walked to the door. ‘You’re making the right choice.’

‘You don’t know what it is!’

Kent smiled. ‘Whatever your choice, I have faith that it’s the right choice for you.’

The First Time That Kent Really Messed Up

Kent tried to be a reasonable and rational man, particularly when it came to the more _delicate_ parts of parenting. He had given a lot of thought before he adopted Summer. A lot of thought about his own abilities and capabilities. A lot of thought about Summer’s abilities and capabilities.

He loved her. That was an obvious necessity.

He liked her. That was not essential but very welcome.

He respected her. That was a pleasure hoped for but never assumed.

It should not have led, even indirectly, to a painful and deeply upsetting debate about Summer’s sex life.

It took him a little while to realise that she kept mentioning a particular boy. It was not that he didn’t pay attention when she spoke about her classmates and social circle. He paid a great deal of attention. He asked questions. He listened carefully to the answers. It was simply that she knew a great many people and their relationships were constantly in a state of flux. Sometimes violently so. Kent did not remember his own teenage years with either pain or nostalgia. Seeing the extreme highs and lows of emotion not only of Summer’s life but also of her friends, he was glad to have moved so far on.

He did not ask her directly about this boy. If she wished to talk about it then she would. Asking would be an infringement of her privacy and he considered her privacy sacrosanct. He assumed that she would tell him anything that he needed to know and share anything that she wished to discuss with him.

It took him by surprise then when she came home in a foul mood and, rather than venting him about what Jessica, Phil, Lexi, or Sangita had done, she refused to talk to him and stormed into her room.

It wasn’t like her. He wracked his brain attempting to think what he had done to upset her. He even called Joyce, which was a sign of pure desperation. Finally, he tapped on Summer’s door and meekly asked her to talk to him.

‘What?’

‘I was wondering that myself,’ he said mildly. ‘If I’ve done something –’

‘No!’ She wrenched open the door. ‘You haven’t done _anything_. Why would you do anything?’

Kent pushed his fingers through his hair. ‘Summer, I am genuinely sorry for whatever it is that I have done or not done to upset you. I can’t remedy the situation if you don’t tell me what the situation _is_.’

Summer gritted her teeth and looked away, blinking rapidly. ‘Doesn’t matter.’

‘Clearly it does matter,’ he said quietly. ‘Please talk to me.’

Summer stomped back into her bedroom and sat down heavily on her bed. She picked up a cushion and wrapped her arms around it. ‘Lexi told me that she’s on birth control.’

‘Okay,’ Kent said carefully. ‘Do you want to do that?’

‘Her mom asked her. They had a whole conversation about it! And all the other girls have had conversations with their parents about it!’

Kent cocked his head. ‘Even Patience and Charity? I wouldn’t have thought their religion –’

‘That’s not the point!’ Summer snapped.

Kent ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I’m not sure what the point is. If you want to speak to the doctor about birth control, then I will happily –’

‘Their parents mentioned it to them,’ Summer said flatly. ‘You didn’t.’

‘I didn’t think it was necessary.’

He knew instantly that he’d said something horrifically wrong. Summer went _white_ and squeezed her eyes shut.

‘I knew it,’ she mumbled.

‘I don’t… I’m sorry,’ Kent said, trying to put his arm around her. ‘I just thought… I thought you’d say when you ready…’

‘You didn’t think it was necessary!’ she wailed. ‘Of course it’s not! Why would it be necessary? Why would I need it? Who would ever want to sleep with me? I’m a _freak_! Boys aren’t going to look at me! I’m gross and disgusting and –’

‘That’s bullshit!’ Kent snapped, shocking himself as much as Summer. ‘You are an intelligent, articulate, beautiful young woman. Any of those pathetic, weedy, self-obsessed little idiots who dare to think that they’re somehow in your league would be lucky to attract your attention.’

Summer stared at him. ‘You _yelled_ at me.’

‘I’m sorry.’ He pulled her close and put his arms around her. ‘I’m so sorry, Summer. I didn’t mean to do that. I’m so sorry.’

She sniffled. ‘I yelled first I guess.’

Kent rubbed her back. ‘Is that why you thought I hadn’t spoken to you, because I didn’t think you would ever need it?’

She shrugged. ‘You talk to me about everything else. Why else wouldn’t you have said anything to me about it?’

He sighed. ‘I was trying to respect your privacy.’

Summer pulled a face. ‘What if I’d gotten pregnant?’

‘I assumed you’d say something when you were ready to embark on a romantic relationship,’ he protested. ‘You know that I don’t like to pre-empt you. Frankly you’ve been quite clear that you will, or won’t, reach those milestones as and when you choose.’

Summer played with the corner of the pillow. ‘It’s not like it’s my choice.’

Kent nudged her shoulder with his. ‘It’s the twenty-first century. I believe that it’s legal now for girls to make the first approach to a boy who takes her fancy. Or for a young woman to approach another young woman. I hope you know that there’s no judgement here.’

She gave him a jaundiced look. ‘I have prosthetic legs. Nobody is queuing up to date me.’

He took her hand between his. ‘Then they’re idiots.’

‘Only a dad would think that was any kind of help,’ she said quietly.

‘I didn’t date until I was twenty-two,’ he said. ‘I know that it looks as if it’s easy for everyone else, but I promise you that it’s not.’

‘It’s harder for me,’ she said flatly. ‘You’re a liar if you say it’s not.’

Kent sighed. ‘You’re probably right,’ he said. ‘But with potential partners, what you may lose in quantity you’ll gain in quality. Any boy that wouldn’t date you because of your legs, is a boy who wouldn’t be good enough for you no matter what.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not trying to get married, Dad.’

His mouth twitched. ‘Oh, I see. You’re just trying to rack up some notches on your bedpost.’

Summer groaned and buried her face in his shoulder. ‘Nooo, you can’t say stuff like that.’

‘It’s what you mean, isn’t it?’ he teased. ‘It’s an admirable clarity really.’

‘Shut up,’ she moaned. ‘It’s not funny.’

‘It’s at least a little bit funny,’ he said lightly.

Summer pulled herself upright and rubbed her face with her hands. ‘I’m not that kind of girl.’

He shrugged. ‘What’s wrong with being the kind of girl who understands the difference between physical and emotional needs? I think the world would be happier if fewer people confused those.’

‘Because I’m sixteen and I can’t get away with that crap,’ she said.

Kent kissed her forehead. ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t address it directly with you.’ He sighed. ‘I… am _so_ sorry that I caused you so much pain and distress. I would never want to do that to you.’

Summer shook her head. ‘It’s okay.’

‘It’s not okay. I should have realised that this might be an issue for you.’ He shook his head. ‘I should have considered that you might benefit from more therapy specifically around this issue.’

Summer screwed up one eye. ‘I should get therapy because I’m horny?’

Kent raised his eyebrows. ‘Certainly not. That is not an issue, although I think I would probably be marginally happier if you never described yourself that way to me again. The issue to which I am referring is your low self-esteem.’

Summer threw herself flat on the bed. ‘My self-esteem is through the roof. I’m _awesome_.’

Kent chewed his lower lip. ‘While I agree that you are indeed awesome, the fact remains that you called yourself “a freak,” and stated that nobody would ever want to be intimate with you.’

‘Well… I was upset and being melodramatic,’ Summer said. ‘I say stuff I don’t mean.’

‘Summer,’ he said quietly. ‘You were certainly melodramatic, but I suspect that means I should take what you say more seriously, not less.’

She stared at the ceiling. ‘I can’t even wear short skirts.’

‘You don’t wear skirts,’ Kent said.

‘I would if I could!’ She blew out her cheeks. ‘I mean… I might. I’d like to have the choice.’

Kent shrugged. ‘Who’s telling you that you can’t?’

She looked at him. ‘Dad, I love you, but sometimes you are on a different planet.’ She sat up and kissed his cheek. ‘If I do the therapy thing, can we go somewhere _good_ on vacation?’

He chuckled. ‘Therapy is not a chore and all our vacations are good.’

‘Agree to disagree.’

‘I do _not_ agree,’ Kent said.

Summer rolled her eyes. ‘Are we gonna have an embarrassing conversation about birth control?’

Kent stood up. ‘Absolutely,’ he promised. ‘You want to talk about it now?’

‘Absolutely not,’ Summer said.

‘Too embarrassing?’ he asked.

She shrugged. ‘I’m not ready.’

He smiled. ‘Okay. Whenever you are ready, I’ll be ready.’

Summer grinned. ‘You won’t. But that’s okay.’

The End


End file.
